By Laura Gómez | Arizona Mirror
With the backdrop of a presidential trip to the southern border and a government partially shut-down over disagreement on funding for a border wall, Gov. Claudia Pavlovich of Sonora, Mexico, told the Arizona Mirror she rejects plans to build a wall along the length of the U.S.-Mexico border.
“I don’t believe in walls much, I believe in bridges. Building bridges is always very helpful in improving the relationships between countries and between states,” Pavlovich told the Mirror following the inauguration ceremony Arizona statewide elected officials Monday. “But I’m also respectful of a country’s sovereignty.”
For his part, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey hasn’t made any statements about his view on the border wall proposal that’s holding the federal government from fully operating and compensating its employees. Ducey has repeatedly falsely claimed that Arizona’s southern border “is wide open and unprotected.”
At the same time, Ducey touts the relationship with the Pavlovich administration, and during his inaugural speech Monday, he acknowledged his Sonoran counterpart.
“We’re more than just neighbors with Sonora, we’re partners,” Ducey said, calling Pavlovich a friend. “And that partnership is leading to more growth and prosperity for both our states.”
